Just Imagine....

Ten years from now: Over a hundred have graduated to Journeymen Wizard, and another thousand Apprentices continue in training. The pendants we wear are no longer merely logos of the school we attend, but the symbol of our Order. And our symbol is not just recognizable to those whom we call brother and sister, but to the greater world, both Magickal and Mundane. We are respected as honored and reliable sources of wisdom, guidance and hope to the communities we live in. We are recognized in congress, the military, in covens and conclaves, and through our deeds we are recognized as an organization devoted to helping influence the evolution of the world.

NEW! Grey School "Magister" Program

The Grey School of Wizardry (GSW) Magister program is designed to allow adult students to take an unlimited number of classes at the Grey School of Wizardry from all levels without the constraints of the structured Apprenticeship program. Magisters will not be eligible to receive a Journeyman Certificate, but will be able to enjoy most aspects of student life at GSW.

Magisters, just like Apprentices, may take up to four classes simultaneously, with an unlimited total number in a calendar year. But Magister students will not be tracked by level and will not have to take the required classes for the respective levels. However, any pre-requisites for specific classes will still have to be met, and Magisters will be required to submit class assignments for grading in the same manner as Apprentices.

About the Grey School of Wizardry

The Grey School of Wizardry is an outgrowth of the Grey Council, a team of two dozen mages and sages. They worked together over the year 2003 to weave the best lessons from many of the magickal community's most respected elders and teachers into the Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard edited by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (New Page Books, 2004).

The Grimoire, however, is only the first phase of a long-range Vision to make available the Wisdom of the Ages for a new generation and a new Millennium. It is both an essential handbook of Apprentice-level Wizardry (like the Boy Scout Handbook) and a basic textbook for a full seven-year academic curriculum of Wizardly studies. It is supplemented by Companion for the Apprentice Wizard (New Page Books, 2006).

The second phase of this Vision is the creation of this on-line School of Wizardry, serving as a larger context for the Grimoire and magickal teachings. Designed for youth students approximately ages 11-18 (middle through high school), the Grey School also accepts adults. We provide an extensive program in all areas of magick, at an Apprenticeship level. Graduates will be qualified and licensed as "Journeyman Wizards."

Taking the Grimoire's basic curriculum as a starting point, the Grey School of Wizardry adds more Classes, links to specialized websites, and color graphics. Class materials and exercises are provided and taught by highly-qualified Faculty and guest lecturers. New classes are added continually. Both the Grimoire and the School focus on magick rather than spirituality, although a few Classes cover mythology and comparative religions. Also, there is a School Forum where registered students can post questions or converse with other registered students.↑ Back to top. ↑

Join the Grey School of Wizardry!

If you are interested in joining the Grey School as a student, click here for more details about becoming a student, as well as form to enroll.

Information, such as tuition fees and payment options, can be found at the above link as well.

Majors and Minors

To become a Journeyman Wizard, students must complete a Major, which determines their Wizard color. Majors cover a series of Classes increasing in complexity, within one field. Completing a Major promotes intellectual and magickal growth from disciplined, intensive study of one subject.

Students may also choose to add a Minor, to diversify experience or support their main focus. Each Department will offer a general Major and Minor; there will also be specialized Departmental and interdisciplinary programs.

A student completing a Minor in every Department (or a mix of Majors and Minors) qualifies as a Wizard of the Lesser Rainbow. A student earning a Major in every Department qualifies as a Wizard of the Greater Rainbow. Faculty may also work towards Rainbow status by writing and teaching Classes.

Students may choose a Major on entering the 2nd Level, and must choose one before entering the 3rd. At the same time, they should choose an Academic Advisor to function as an educational and magickal mentor. The Advisor can also help by helping students plan their academic curriculum, suggest resources, and answer questions.↑ Back to top. ↑

Awards and Honors

Grey School students may earn recognition for academic achievements. Teachers nominate students for the Dean's List in recognition of excellent work in a Class taught by that teacher.

Three nominations earn the student Dean's List status for their current Level. Dean's List students graduate with honors noted on their diploma.

The Student Achievement Award recognizes students who, through diligent and sustained effort, significantly improve their performance in Class. Like the Dean's List, it requires three teacher nominations.

Departmental Awards, such as the Webweaver Award in Lifeways, typically involve passing several Classes and doing extra credit projects.↑ Back to top. ↑

The House/Lodge System

The Grey School is highly interactive, including not just study materials, but opportunities for student interaction.

Youth (under 18) students are sorted into four "Houses" (Sylphs, Salamanders, Undines, and Gnomes) in which they can communicate directly with each other.

Adult (18+) students are sorted into four "Lodges" (Society of the Four Winds, Order of the Dancing Flames, Coterie of the Flowing Waters, and Circle of the Standing Stones).

This sorting is based on the element associated with the student's "sun sign." Each House or Lodge has a Faculty Head to moderate its forum and perform other functions, along with a Student Prefect to provide peer guidance.↑ Back to top. ↑

Prefects and Captains

The Administration considers it important to encourage student involvement in the House/Lodge system. Organizations should allow members to influence group activities and identity. We do not want to have just the faculty over the students without giving the students some leadership opportunities; blind allegiance to authority is not Wizardly. Thus the Prefects and Captains are chosen to provide peer leadership.

The Prefect is a student appointed to help the Head manage the House or Lodge. A Prefect's duties typically include things like welcoming new members, posting insightful questions to the Lodge Forum to prompt discussions, proposing challenges, suggesting group projects, and other things that make the group feel lively and inviting. Also, if someone misbehaves, a quiet word from a respected Prefect could solve the problem before it requires the attention of a higher authority. Prefects serve a six-month term, from equinox to equinox.

The House Captain, Vice Lodge Captain, and Lodge Captain positions are equivalent to those of "Head Boy" or "Head Girl" in the traditional boarding school system. They oversee their whole age group, House Captains for youth students and Lodge Captains for adult students. They also deal with issues involving both youths and adults, and they represent the student body to the Administration. Vice Lodge Captains serve six months. Then they become a "full" Lodge Captain and serve for another six months, a new Vice Captain taking their place.↑ Back to top. ↑

Challenges and Merits

The Challenge and Merit System recognizes students for extracurricular activities both in and out of the Grey School. While academics come first, we acknowledge that non-academic activities are part of creating a well-rounded student.

Merit Points reward personal achievement and participation. Students may earn Points for their House or Lodge through meritorious activity. Faculty members and House/Lodge Captains may assign Points to students. A general list describes activities which may earn Points, complete with a suggestion of how many to award. Each House and Lodge also has a list of Points that only its members may earn.

Challenges offer special opportunities to earn Points. They typically have a time limit and detailed requirements. Most are individual. Captains and Faculty may issue Open Challenges on any topic; these can get quite creative. Department Challenges appear on a rotating schedule, and encourage all students to explore that Department's subject. Houses, Lodges, Clubs, and other groups sometimes post challenges just for their members.

Mega-Challenges require students to form teams and coordinate complex activities around a central theme. Whereas most Challenges yield just a few Merit Points, a team can rack up lots.

The results of the Merit Points Competition are announced twice a year, at the equinoxes. Youth and adult students compete separately. The number of Merit Points earned, academic credits earned, and student members all figure into the formula which calculates House/Lodge standing per six-month interval.

The House with the highest combined average wins the House Hat, and the Lodge with the highest combined average wins the Lodge Cup.↑ Back to top. ↑

Clubs and Other Activities

The Grey School offers many organized and freeform opportunites to socialize. We have a diverse selection of social forums, clubs, and a newspaper. The forums provide a venue for people to gather.

The Great Hall includes areas for General Chatter, Prefects and Captains, Challenges, a Bardic Circle, and much more.

Office forums provide access to the Administrators and other positions.

Houses and Lodges have their own forums, plus separate Youth and Adult forums for mingling. There are Departmental and other forums as well.

Clubs allow members to explore interest in a special area outside of Classes. They also provide venue for students and faculty to socialize, share information and plan projects related to their club's theme. Every club must have a Faculty Advisor and at least three members, and may create a forum. Clubs customarily have student officers, too; each club may determine its own offices and the process for filling them. Club elections are held twice a year, for six-month terms.

The Grey School of Wizardry publishes a quarterly school newspaper, Whispering Grey Matters. The student publications staff is led by a Faculty Advisor. The newsletter staff is in charge of editing and publishing the issues, under the supervision of the Advisor. All students may submit their original work (essays, poetry, photos, artwork, etc.) for consideration. Staff members also gather news from the Administration, Departments, clubs, and other sources. The newspaper has its own forum area in the Great Hall.↑ Back to top. ↑

What would a school be without its textbooks? Career Press/New Page Publishing supports the Vision and Mission of the Grey School of Wizardry by publishing an ongoing series of textbooks written by faculty members, and developed from courses taught in the Grey School. Here are the first few of these:

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard (2004) By Oberon Zell-Ravenheart & the Grey Council - This is the book that started it all! An essential "Boy Scout Handbook" gathering into one volume the Wisdom of the Ages at an apprentice level, laying the foundation for the Grey School.

Companion for the Apprentice Wizard (2006) By Headmaster Oberon Zell-Ravenheart & the Faculty of the Grey School of Wizardry - A "practicum" supplement to the Grimoire. Special Bonus Feature: 24 pages of cut-out models of magickal devices to assemble!

Oberon Zell presents Dragonlore (2006) From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry - By Ash "LeopardDancer" DeKirk, Grey School Professor of Lore and Divination - A richly-illustrated compendium of Dragon lore and legends from all times and the far corners of the Earth!

Creating Circles & Ceremonies (2006) Rituals for All Seasons & Reasons - By Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart - A compilation of decades of magickal workings of all kinds-with chants, songs, invocations, and liturgical materials for every occasion!

Oberon Zell presents Gargoyles (2007) From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry - By Susan "Moonwriter" Pesznecker, Grey School Professor of Nature Studies, Lore, Cosmology - A lavishly-illustrated compendium of Gargoyle history, legends, and magick!

Grey School Administration

The Grey School of Wizardry is a non-profit educational institution incorporated in the state of California on March 14, 2005. The Grey Council serves as an Advisory Board. Approximately 25 Faculty members are organized into 16 Departments, each with a Departmental Dean.

The School is run by an Administrative Team consisting of:Headmaster Oberon Zell-RavenheartwGSW Provost RouevGSW Provost AaranDean of Students SalientDean of Faculty Firelili